The sixth Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival will kick off on October 31, bringing a month-long celebration of the arts to the region. The program features 75 stage productions, 148 performances, 25 exhibitions, works by emerging young artists and nearly 100 public cultural and arts education activities.
With the 140th Canton Fair underway in Guangzhou, international exhibitors and buyers can make the most of their stay by enjoying world-class ballet, international theater, classical music and art exhibitions. Here are some highlights to explore.
Dance
Ballet: Swan Lake by ABT & NBC
American Ballet Theatre (ABT) will bring Kevin McKenzie's production of Swan Lake to South China for the first time. Set to Tchaikovsky's iconic score, this timeless tale of love and betrayal is known for its intricate choreography, dramatic intensity and the striking unity of its corps de ballet.
The National Ballet of China (NBC) will also perform its version of Swan Lake in Dongguan and Shenzhen during the festival, offering audiences two acclaimed interpretations of the classical masterpiece.
American Ballet Theatre:
Dates & times: November 5 to November 6, 7:30 p.m.; November 7, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Opera Hall, Guangzhou Opera House (广州大剧院歌剧厅)
Tickets: 180, 380, 580, 780, 980, 1,080 and 1,280 yuan
Duration: Approximately 140 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission
Scan the QR code below to purchase tickets.
National Ballet of China:
Dongguan: November 7, 7:30 p.m.; November 8, 2:30 p.m.; Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center (松山湖展演中心)
Shenzhen: November 21, 8 p.m.; November 22, 3 p.m.; Guangming Culture and Art Center (光明文化艺术中心)
Tickets: 180, 280, 380, 480, 680 and 880 yuan
Duration: Approximately 145 minutes, including two intermissions
Scan the QR codes below to purchase tickets.
Dongguan ticket QR code
Shenzhen ticket QR code
Dance Drama: Wing Chun
This acclaimed dance drama follows martial arts master Ip Man's journey to Hong Kong alongside the making of a film about Wing Chun in Shenzhen, celebrating ordinary people who pursue their dreams. It combines five Chinese martial arts styles with classical and contemporary dance, while bringing two forms of national intangible cultural heritage, Wing Chun and gambiered Guangdong gauze, to the stage.
Date & time: November 8, 8:00 p.m.
Venue: Poly Theatre Shenzhen (深圳保利剧院)
Tickets: 100, 180, 280, 480, 680 and 880 yuan
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Dance Drama: Pillars
This original dance drama explores China's architectural heritage through the life and work of Lin Huiyin, one of the country's first female architects. Following Lin and fellow scholars as they surveyed historic buildings across China, the production pays tribute to a generation of intellectuals dedicated to preserving the country's cultural legacy. It features China's leading creative talent and performers, including Hua Xiaoyi.
Dates & times: November 28, 7:30 p.m.; November 29, 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center, Dongguan (松山湖展演中心)
Tickets: 180, 280, 380, 480, 680 and 880 yuan
Duration: Approximately 120 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission
Scan the QR code below to purchase tickets.
Theater and Stage Shows
Drama: Amadeus
The Vakhtangov State Academic Theatre of Russia presents a drama of genius, ambition and jealousy. The play follows composer Antonio Salieri as his admiration for Mozart's extraordinary talent turns into consuming envy, leading him to undermine his rival—only to find himself haunted by Mozart's lasting musical legacy.
Dates & time: November 18 to November 19, 8:00 p.m.
Venue: Luhu Art Center, Shenzhen (深圳鹭湖艺术中心)
Tickets: 280, 380, 480, 680, 880 and 1,080 yuan
Duration: Approximately 170 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission
Language: Russian, with Chinese subtitles
Scan the QR code below to purchase tickets.
Drama: Pushkin Tales
Also presented by the Vakhtangov State Academic Theatre of Russia, this production adapts four stories written by Russian literary great Alexander Pushkin. Through tales of romance, revenge, mistaken identity and family separation, it offers a portrait of ordinary people in 19th-century Russia.
Dates & times: November 21, 7:30 p.m.; November 22, 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Luhu Art Center, Shenzhen (深圳鹭湖艺术中心)
Tickets: 280, 380, 480, 680, 880 and 1,080 yuan
Duration: Approximately 200 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission
Language: Russian, with Chinese subtitles
Scan the QR code below to purchase tickets.
Acrobatics: U Show
"Dawanji (Greater Bay Chicken)", the popular mascot of China's 15th National Games, will lead the audience on a playful journey through Guangzhou's streets, eateries, neighborhood sports grounds and riverside scenes, finding wonder in everyday life. The show combines aerial rope acts, contortion, balancing skills and diabolo tricks with street dance, magic and immersive multimedia effects.
Dates & times: November 13, 7:30 p.m.; November 14, 3:00 p.m.
Venue: Foshan Grand Theatre (佛山大剧院)
Tickets: 100, 180, 280, 380 and 480 yuan
Duration: Approximately 60 minutes, with no intermission
Scan the QR code below to purchase tickets.
Physical theater: The Nature of Forgetting
What remains when memories begin to fade? Developed by Theatre RE in collaboration with neuroscience professor Kate Jeffery and the Alzheimer's Society, this production follows Tom as he prepares for his 55th birthday party, exploring friendship, love, guilt and the fragile nature of memory. Blending movement, mime and live music, Theatre RE presents a deeply moving, non-verbal experience that has captivated audiences worldwide.
Date & time: December 6, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Canton Tower Theater, Guangzhou (广州塔剧场)
Tickets: 180, 280 and 380 yuan
Duration: Approximately 75 minutes, with no intermission
Language: English, with Chinese subtitles
Scan the QR code below to purchase tickets.
Music
Concert by Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter will return to Guangzhou 15 years after her previous performance in the city, marking the 50th anniversary of her career. She will join the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by music director Vasily Petrenko, for a program featuring Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5.
Date & time: November 8, 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Opera Hall, Guangzhou Opera House (广州大剧院歌剧厅)
Tickets: 380, 580, 680, 880, 980, 1,180, 1,380 and 1,680 yuan
Duration: Approximately 90 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission
Scan the QR code below to purchase tickets.
Fabio Biondi & Europa Galante Guangzhou Concert
Baroque violinist Fabio Biondi and the period-instrument ensemble Europa Galante perform Vivaldi's complete The Four Seasons, alongside works by Corelli, Geminiani and Locatelli. The 14-member ensemble will perform standing, using historical instruments including the theorbo and harpsichord to evoke the sound of Italian Baroque music. An open rehearsal, an artist talk and a post-concert signing session are also planned.
Date & time: November 13, 8:00 p.m.
Venue: Symphony Hall, Xinghai Concert Hall, Guangzhou (广州星海音乐厅交响乐演奏大厅)
Tickets: 80, 180, 280, 380, 480 and 580 yuan
Scan the QR code below to purchase tickets.
Mozart with Diyang Mei & Berliner Barock Solisten
Celebrating the 270th anniversary of Mozart's birth, the Berliner Barock Solisten, an ensemble associated with the Berlin Philharmonic, brings a special program to Guangzhou. Berlin Philharmonic principal players Noah Bendix-Balgley and Diyang Mei will appear as soloists.
Date & time: November 21, 8:00 p.m.
Venue: Symphony Hall, Xinghai Concert Hall, Guangzhou (广州星海音乐厅交响乐演奏大厅)
Tickets: 180, 280, 380, 480 and 680 yuan
Scan the QR code below to purchase tickets.
Exhibitions
Reform Mission: Guangdong Art Centennial Exhibition (1900-1978)
Featuring more than 400 artworks and historical documents, this exhibition traces a century of artistic change in Guangdong, from the innovations of the Lingnan School and the introduction of Western painting to revolutionary woodcuts and art depicting the development of modern China. Works by leading artists are complemented by an immersive digital exhibition space.
Period: Permanent
Venue: Halls 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, Guangdong Museum of Art (Ersha Island), Guangzhou (广东美术馆本馆)
Admission: Free
By the People 2: Creative Chinese Characters
Chinese characters are both a writing system and a source of visual inspiration. This exhibition features more than 90 groups of works spanning painting, calligraphy, engraving, sculpture, installation and digital art, exploring how Chinese characters continue to evolve between tradition and innovation.
Period: September 23 to December 15, 2026
Venue: Hall 14, 4F, Guangdong Museum of Art (Baietan), Guangzhou (广东美术馆新馆)
Admission: Free
Order of Construction: 20th-Century Russian Abstract Art
Featuring 70 works by 56 artists, this exhibition brings together Russian abstract art pioneers including Wassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich and Lyubov Popova. It explores how artists moved beyond realistic representation to create new visual languages through color, line, shape and space.
Period: October 1, 2026 to January 10, 2027
Venue: Halls 2 and 3, 2F, Shenzhen International Museum of Art (深圳国际美术馆)
Admission: 60 yuan, including access to the museum's basic exhibitions
Author | Huang Xinying
Poster | Lai Meiya, Huang Manshi (intern)
Photos | Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival
